1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bundle of shim stock pieces banded about its center and having respective sets of kerfs extending inward from the respective opposite ends of the bundle almost up to the central band such that individual shims may be broken from the shim stock pieces, and also to a method for manufacturing such a bundle.
2. Prior Art
There are many uses in building construction for narrow tapered strips commonly known as builder's shims or simply shims. For example, such shims are used to fill gaps between a frame, such as a door or window frame, and an opening for receiving the frame, so that the frame is not distorted when nails are driven through it to install it in the opening. Also, shims often are used in raising a building component to a desired elevation, as when it is desired to level the sills of a structure by raising portions of the sills away from a stationary foundation.
It is customary to cut or split builder's shims from wood shim stock pieces tapered lengthwise of the grain. For example, low-grade shingles may be purchased solely to be cut or split into narrow shims, or higher grade waste shingles or shingle pieces left over after a roof has been installed may be cut or split into shims.
It is known to provide prepackaged bundles of separate shims precut from tapered shim stock pieces such as low-grade shingles. Up to now such bundles have been manufactured by cutting individual shim stock pieces into shims of desired width, such as by running shingles separately through a gang saw, and gathering and packaging a desired number of the individual shims. While the cost of the shim stock pieces is quite low, there is substantial time and expense associated with cutting each shim stock piece individually, and particularly with gathering and packaging the individual precut shims.